Freeview playback misses end of programme on BBC2

I recently bought a digital PVR from Tesco called Technika AEDTR16057.
It works as expected in almost all ways, but several times now our
recordings scheduled from the programme guide on BBC2 have started ok,
but do not stop at the end of the programme: if I have not noticed or we
are out then the programme continues for exactly 2 hours 43 minutes in
every case. The significance of this number escapes me - it is 9780
seconds, and I could believe that someone programmed in 10,000 as a
long-stop but not that particular number. Doesn't make much sense in
binary either.

So far I have not seen the fault on any other channel, but it happens
about a third of the programmes so far recorded on BBC2. I'm using the
Sandy Heath transmitter, by the way. It's got so annoying that I'm
staring to set recordings up using the timer, which always works ok, but
of course does not extend the recording if the programme starts or ends
late.

Has anyone else seen similar problems? It could be a fault with the
box, or with the BBC or the transmitter, but it's hard to tell which.

--
Clive Page

Well, do you know anyone with a set who can record the same thing and see if
its some interaction between your machine and bbc2 s implementation, or
just bbc 2 being less than helpful!

Brian

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"Clive Page" wrote in message
...
I recently bought a digital PVR from Tesco called Technika AEDTR16057. It
works as expected in almost all ways, but several times now our recordings
scheduled from the programme guide on BBC2 have started ok, but do not stop
at the end of the programme: if I have not noticed or we are out then the
programme continues for exactly 2 hours 43 minutes in every case. The
significance of this number escapes me - it is 9780 seconds, and I could
believe that someone programmed in 10,000 as a long-stop but not that
particular number. Doesn't make much sense in binary either.

So far I have not seen the fault on any other channel, but it happens
about a third of the programmes so far recorded on BBC2. I'm using the
Sandy Heath transmitter, by the way. It's got so annoying that I'm
staring to set recordings up using the timer, which always works ok, but
of course does not extend the recording if the programme starts or ends
late.

Has anyone else seen similar problems? It could be a fault with the
box, or with the BBC or the transmitter, but it's hard to tell which.

--
Clive Page

In article ,
Clive Page wrote:
I recently bought a digital PVR from Tesco called Technika AEDTR16057.
It works as expected in almost all ways, but several times now our
recordings scheduled from the programme guide on BBC2 have started ok,
but do not stop at the end of the programme:


if I have not noticed or we
are out then the programme continues for exactly 2 hours 43 minutes in
every case. The significance of this number escapes me - it is 9780
seconds, and I could believe that someone programmed in 10,000 as a
long-stop but not that particular number. Doesn't make much sense in
binary either.

Might be a long stop. The other evening I had
both a Technika and a Samsung HDD-DVDR recording
the same BBC channel. The Technika stopped late
and the Samsung stopped eight hours further on..
or was rather stopped by me when I realised and
pressed the stop button! They had both been
recording the same prog.

So far I have not seen the fault on any other channel, but it happens
about a third of the programmes so far recorded on BBC2. I'm using the
Sandy Heath transmitter, by the way. It's got so annoying that I'm
staring to set recordings up using the timer, which always works ok, but
of course does not extend the recording if the programme starts or ends
late.

It does seems a rather excessive problem at your
end..?

Regarding and assuming that you mean you are using
the Technika's timer routines, rather than it's EPG,
then can't you just enter extra time at the beginning
and for the end of each recording?

Not that you should have to anyway.

As a matter of interest, you could perhaps power
down your box completely, (removing the mains plug
for a few seconds), then power-up/reboot the thing
and see what happens from a restart. (..and/or
reload your channels, just as a backup procedure).

Has anyone else seen similar problems? It could be a fault with the
box, or with the BBC or the transmitter, but it's hard to tell which.

Yes - the same very occasional problem with BBC
and yes, it isn't easy to tell if it's the box
or the transmitter, is it..?

I think Tacolneston has already been mentioned as
yet another transmitter that seems to have had the
identical failure with one or other of the BBC
channels.

As other makes of boxes, (Humax and Topfield), have
recently reported similar problem from other parts
of the country, then I guess it's possibly a 'fault'
at the transmitter. If it were the Technika, for
instance, one might expect the 'fault' to repeat all
over the place, involving combinations of available
channels.

As used to occur with the older VHS PDC/VPS signals
in early days, the 'codes' seem to be added after
the fact by either programme makers, or most often
under the control of the engineers at the transmitter
end, who apparently sometimes rely on the 'start' of
the next prog to let the box know the 'end' of the
last prog. Not always a good idea in the wee small
hours!

I guess similar to VHS PDC or VPS, expect some
adjustments and misses in these early days as the
sources get to grips with the still new 'standard'
of Freeview Playback..

Worth keeping an eye on, though ..and with the Technika
maintained in standby at 03h00, then any 'Over The Air'
(OTA) box updating should be automatically downloaded
whenever or if ever available...

hope helps a little ..well, sort of! =)

Bill ZFC

--
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Domain Host Orpheus Internet -=- http://www.orpheusinternet.co.uk/

In the BBC's case the Event Information Tables (EIT) are derived from
SID (Schedule Interface for Digital) which drives Playout, and has done
since digital TV started in 1998!
EITpf (present/following) provides the data for "Now & Next"
EITsch (schedule) the data for the EPG.
ETSI standards define repetition rates, content and how EITs should be
used by receivers. These standards have been in existence since the
late 90s.

Some receiver manufacturers seem to, how shall I put it?, have a unique
way of using them!

Also the Service Information (SI) stream, which is inserted at the first
Major transmitter in a region, is derived from a common source in a
central coding and mux area in London.

It is remotely possible that a EITpf or EITsch is not updated properly,
but as the spec says these should be resent at a mimimum rate of 20
minutes such a fault should be correctly fairly swiftly.

Further, receivers should be checking the data in the EITpf tables at a
minimum rate of every 30 secs before an event (programme) is due to start.

I have heard that both BBC and itv (at least) are setting the programme
start time as the beginning of the adverts before a programme. So if a
PVR somehow doesn't note the event end time, then it should infer it
from the next event start time.

HTH

Richard

Bill (Adopt) wrote:
In article ,
Clive Page wrote:
[snip]
I guess similar to VHS PDC or VPS, expect some
adjustments and misses in these early days as the
sources get to grips with the still new 'standard'
of Freeview Playback..

IIRC, the two major problems with PDC were the broadcasters not using
the codes correctly some of which the manufacturers of VCRs tried to
correct :-(

ITV, I think, in the early days sent the "use timer settings" over-ride,
which resulted in recording the first 5 minutes of a program when I was
being lazy (or experimenting).

Just about nobody used the "stop" code, so the VCR manufacturers stopped
recording when the code for the program had disappeared for approx 2
minutes, which allowed for the random loss of the code during the programme.


Worth keeping an eye on, though ..and with the Technika
maintained in standby at 03h00, then any 'Over The Air'
(OTA) box updating should be automatically downloaded
whenever or if ever available...

hope helps a little ..well, sort of! =)

Bill ZFC



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PeeGee wrote:

ITV, I think, in the early days sent the "use timer settings" over-ride,

It was a regional thing. Meridian and London (amongst other regions) never
provided a full PDC service. However ITC guidelines stipulated that if a
company could not, or wished not to provide a dynamic PDC service, they had to
send the default 'use timer settings' flag. This caused confusion because just
the presence of that flag would deceptively illuminate a PDC pilot light on
some models of VCR.

Other companies such as Yorkshire and Westcountry provided a proper, full,
dynamic PDC service.

I expect if the IBA had still existed, they'd have made damn sure that all 16
companies provided a proper dynamic system.

--
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Please replace invalid and invalid with gmx and net to reply.

"Dickie mint" wrote in message
...

In the BBC's case the Event Information Tables (EIT) are derived from SID
(Schedule Interface for Digital) which drives Playout,

Other way round - the playout system drives SID by sending triggers to it.
SID then recognises these triggers and updates the EIT accordingly.

Clive Page wrote:
I recently bought a digital PVR from Tesco called Technika AEDTR16057.
It works as expected in almost all ways, but several times now our
recordings scheduled from the programme guide on BBC2 have started ok,
but do not stop at the end of the programme: if I have not noticed or we
are out then the programme continues for exactly 2 hours 43 minutes in
every case. The significance of this number escapes me - it is 9780
seconds, and I could believe that someone programmed in 10,000 as a
long-stop but not that particular number. Doesn't make much sense in
binary either.

So far I have not seen the fault on any other channel, but it happens
about a third of the programmes so far recorded on BBC2. I'm using the
Sandy Heath transmitter, by the way. It's got so annoying that I'm
staring to set recordings up using the timer, which always works ok, but
of course does not extend the recording if the programme starts or ends
late.

Has anyone else seen similar problems? It could be a fault with the
box, or with the BBC or the transmitter, but it's hard to tell which.


The obvious question I should have asked was Does it have the Freeview
Playback Tick?

Richard

Dickie mint wrote:
The obvious question I should have asked was Does it have the Freeview
Playback Tick?

Richard

Answering my own post! Checked on Tesco website, and it claims it does.

also according to........ :

http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/forums/s...4#post19970134

..............it's a Vestel clone.

Look underneath the box for a Txxx label to give the Vestel equivalent!

Richard

"PeeGee" wrote in message
...
Bill (Adopt) wrote:
In article ,
Clive Page wrote:
[snip]
I guess similar to VHS PDC or VPS, expect some adjustments and misses
in these early days as the sources get to grips with the still new
'standard' of Freeview Playback..

IIRC, the two major problems with PDC were the broadcasters not using
the codes correctly some of which the manufacturers of VCRs tried to
correct :-(

ITV, I think, in the early days sent the "use timer settings"
over-ride, which resulted in recording the first 5 minutes of a
program when I was being lazy (or experimenting).

Just about nobody used the "stop" code, so the VCR manufacturers
stopped recording when the code for the program had disappeared for
approx 2 minutes, which allowed for the random loss of the code during
the programme.


Worth keeping an eye on, though ..and with the Technika maintained in
standby at 03h00, then any 'Over The Air' (OTA) box updating should
be automatically downloaded whenever or if ever available... hope
helps a little ..well, sort of! =)



The biggest problem with PDC was that the clock was never right - one of
them (can't remember which) was notorious for being 12 hours out!


--
Woody

harrogate three at ntlworld dot com